Type-writing machine.



W. F. HELMOND.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men MAY is. 1911.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

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W/fnesses;

w wd flwfi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM F. HELMQND HAR F R O NE T C T- S GNQ s ND BWQQD myrnwmrnncomrmx,or new YORK, n. A content on, or ,nnLAwAnE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Apr. 29, 19:19.

Application filed May 18, 1917. Serial No. 169,448.

Tooll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WIL IAM F. HELMOND, a citizen of the United States,residing in Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State-ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTypelVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto an improvement in type-writing machines, andmore espeoi ally to a work-gage-an'd holder for wraping a'stiff workmemberaround the platen.

One of the objects of this invention is to form a'ca-rd-guide and holderin a single piece, Which may cooperate with a gage to properlyposition acard on the platen.

Grage elements and the card-holder are mounted floatingly and connectedto the case-shift frame, so as tomaintainthe same relation with respectto the printing lineof the "platen inboth upper and lower-case positionsof the platen. The floating frame forthe gage and'holder-is guided inits vertical movements byhaving a pair of flanged rollers projecting inslots provided on the floating frame, thus preventing the partsfromgetting out of alinemcnt by a movementlengthwise of the platen. Theflanged rollers are mounted; on spring brackets fixed onthe type-barsegment, so that they maintain the gage and holder yieldingly againstthe platen-for all positions of vertical movement. This necessitates aloose pivotal mounting or open bearing of the floating frame on thecase-shift frame, allowedfor by holdingthe floating frame on its pivotby means of its spring. In this way, the device maybe quickly assembled,andis quite flexible.

The cardholder-itself has a loose open pivot, or,'in other words, it ismerely fulcrume'd in grooved brackets, so as to be swung between anoperative position in close juxtaposition to the platen and to aninoperative position forward and clear of the platen. Springs areprovided for maintaining a card;guide onthe brackets, and act to lockthe card-holder automatically in either of its adjusted positions. Thelooking action of the springs is aided by a pair of rounded studs, withwhich lower ends of the -card guide and holder engage alternately on thefrontand rear sides thereof, according to the position of the card-guideand. holder cooperative relation with the platen, and away from theplaten, respectively.

The card-holder is preferably formed of asingle strip ofmetal out outand stamped up to the proper contour, so as to form a light simplestructure easily manufactured. It includes a pair, ofV-shaped prongs,iwhich arch from the back surface of the holder toward the platen, so asto guide the leading edge of the card as it comes around the platen. Thegage is provided with a projection extending upwardly from the scaleedge of the gage, so as to. cooperate withone of the prongs, and insuresan almost continuous surface against which the leading edge of the cardmay cam, so as to properly guide it around the platen.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section; taken from front to rear, with partsomitted to simplify the showing, and illustrating the card-holder andguide as in its position cooperating with the platen.

Fig. 2 is a skeleton perspective view, showing the way in whichthe cardholder and gage are mounted to move with the caseshift frame.

.Fig. 3is anenlarged detail view,infront elevation, showing thecard-holder in its rearmost position cooperating with the platen.

Fig. 4 is a view, l ooking at it from the right side, with parts insection, and showing, the card-holderin cooperation .with the platen,but in its upper-case position corresponding tothe upper-case positionofthe platen.

5 is an .enlargeddetail view, partly in section on line .5 5, Fig.3, andshowing the card-holder, as swung away from the platen to an inoperativeor idle position.

Numeral keys 1 and alphabet keys 2 de press key levers 3 to rock, bellcranks 4, so as to swing type-bars 5 up rearwardly against the "frontside of a platen 6, mounted to rotate on a carriage 7. Thecarriage 7 hasthe usual step-by-stepmovement, at the actuation of the character keys,under the control of an. escapement mechanism," indicated in general at8. Each of the type-bars 5 has two characters 9 and 10, corresponding towriting of lower and uppenoase charactors,

To enable the change in writing from normal lower-case characters toupper-case characters, the platen 6 is mounted in a platen frame 11,which, in turn, is supported for vertical movement by means of arms 12,pivotally mounted on the carriage 7. The platen frame 11 rides by meansof traveling rollers 13 on a shift rail 14. The shift rail 14 is mountedon a shift'frame 15, pivoted at 16. To rock the shift frame 15, and thusraise the platen 6 for upper-case writing, there are provided two keys17, one of which may be used for temporary shift and the other forsemi-permanent shift. These keys are provided with the usual levers 18,which, when the associated keys are depressed, are rocked individuallyto swing forward arms 19. Each of these arms bears against one of thesides of the shift frame 15 at the rear thereof. In this way, the shiftframe 15 is rocked in a clockwise direction to raise the platen 6.

For the purpose of properly positioning a work member, such as a stiffcard, on the platen 6, there is provided a gage 20 and a card-holder andguide 21. In order that these two elements may cotiperateproperly withthe platen 6 in both lower and uppercase positions of the latter, theyare supported on a floating frame 22. The floating frame 22 is, in turn,supported on the caseshift frame 15. For this purpose, the floatingframe 22 is formed of a cross-piece 23, on which the gage 20 and thecard-holder and guide 21 are mounted in the manner to be described, andside arms 24. The side arms 24 extend downwardly from the cross piece23, and arch rearwardly along the shift rail 14 and engage pivots 25in-the form of studs mounted on the case-shift frame 15. To engage thepivot studs 25, the side arms 24 are provided with open bearings 26,whereby the floating frame as a whole may be readily slipped onto thestuds and will allow a certain amount of lost motion.

In order to hold the floating frame 22 on the pivot studs 25 there isprovided on each side a spring 27, which engages a pin 28 fixed on theshift frame 15, and at the other end engages a stud 29 fixed on thecorresponding arm 24 of the floating frame. It will be noted that thestuds 29 arelocated on projections 30 of the arms 24, which extendsomewhat to the rear and below the pivot studs 25. This will tend tohold the floating frame 22 and the parts carried thereby in properposition to cooperate with the platen 6.

In order to insure theproper vertical movement of the floating frame 22with the case-shift frame, it is guided for vertical movement. For thispurpose there are pro-' vided on the cross-piece 23 of the floatingframe 22, a pair of guiding brackets 31, pro

jecting upwardly from the cross-piece and having guiding slots 32therein. Guiding rollers 33 are each provided with a radiallyextendingcircular flange 34, which projects from the body of the rollers into theguiding slots 32. The guiding rollers 33 are fixed so that the floatingframe 22 may have a certain amount of vertical movement relativethereto, and still be held against a movement lengthwise of the platen.The body portion of the rollers do not project through slots 32, butrest on brackets 31, so as to prevent forward movement of the guidingframe, and thus hold indirectly the gage and card-holder in closejuxtaposition to the platen. In order that a certain amount of yieldingmay be provided for this guiding and constraining action, the rollers 33are pivotally mounted on spring brackets 35, which are normally under aslight tension tending to force the floating frame and the parts carriedthereby toward the platen 6. The brackets 35 are fixed on a type-segment36, which guides the type-bars 5 in their movement to and from theprinting point of the platen.

Having'shown how the supporting floating frame 22 is guided and mounted,so as to give a proper vertical movement of the gage 20 and the holder21, it is merely necessary to show how the latter two elements aremounted on the floating frame 22. The gage 20 includes a pair of scaleplates 37 and 38 with scales 39 along their top edges, so as todetermine letter-spaces along the typewriting line. The scale plates 37and 38 are separated at their top edges by a slot 40, which permits thestriking of the type-bars between them at the printing point, and arejoined integrally at their lower edges by a connecting strip 41. Thescales 37 and 38 have projecting from the sides thereof, toward the endsof the platen, strips 42, which assist the scale plates in properlyguiding long work members on the platen 6. The gage as a whole issecured to the cross-piece 23 of the floating frame 22 by means ofbrackets 43 fixed at opposite ends on the frame 22 and the strips 42.

To support the guides 21 on the floating frame 22, there are provided. apair of brackets 44 secured to the floating frame 22. These bracketsextend forwardly to form shelves 45 and upwardly to form combined guidesand fulcrums 46. The guides and fulcrums 46 are provided with V-notches47 into which extend the sides or legs of the card-guide and holder 21.In this way the upwardly-extending elements 46 form fulcrums forpermitting back and forth swing ing movement of the card-guides 21. Thelegs of the card-guide 21 project beyond the apex of the notches 47 onthe outside of the brackets 44, so that the card-guide and holder 21 asa whole straddles the brackets 44-betweemthemi In other. words, the legsof thercardeguide-and holder-21 extendon' the outside of the brackets44, and arepro vided with inwardly-extending shoulders 48 to-engage the.fulcrums formed by the apex of the notches47 in thebrackets 44.

Inorder to hold thecard-guide and holder 21 in ositiorron the brackets44, there are provi ed apair of springs49'secured to the holder 21at oneend, and to a pin 50 at their otherend. It will be seen that thispermits a certain amount of back and forth swinging movement ofthecard-guide andholder 21 from the idle position seen'at Fig. 5 to theactive position of F'ig. 1. This shift of the holder 21 must, however,bedone forcibly, as the springs 49 are extended from the pin 50 totheholder 21 in such a way as to lock the holder in both its idle andactive positions, by passing beyond a dead-center.

In order to assist in this locking, the lower ends of the legs engagerounded studs 51 provided on the shelves'45. Thelegs of the holder 21pass alternately from position in rearofthe studs to position in frontof the studs, when the upper edge of the guide and holder 21'wil1 swingoppositely to an active position in engagement with the platen and to anidle position away from the platen respectively.

For preventing the-accidental disengagement of the card-guide and holder21 from the notches 47 on the brackets 44, when it is movedquickly to anidle position, the

rear sides of the notches 47 are indented at 52 to form shoulders in aposition to be engaged by the shoulders 48 on the legs of the holder 21.When the force shifting the holder is discontinued, thespring 49 willautomatically settle the holder to its proper position.

The card-holder and guide 21 is formedof a single sheet of metal cut outto givethe necessary contour and having 1ts edges flangedup to give thedesired amount of rigidity with a lightness of structure. In addition tothe legs mentioned above, the card guide and holder has a topcross-piece 53 provided with a forwardly extending finger-piece 54, bywhich the card-holder as a whole may be manipulated.

Projecting downwardly from the top cross-- piece 53, there are provideda pair of prongs55, spaced from each other on opposite sides of theprinting point of the typewriter. These prongshave their side edgesflanged up to give a certain amount of rigidity for the lightness oftheir structure. The lower pointed ends or apexes of the prongs are bentrearwardly toward the platen, as seen more clearly at Fig: 1, so as toconform somewhat to the curvature of the platen, and in thisway properlywarp a. stiff "card around the platen.

The gage 20' has projecting upwardly from one of itsscale plates 38 anextension 56, which goes in behind one of the prongs 55, so as to-form apractically continuous surface, with which the'le'ading edge of thestifh card may engage in its movement to a proper position around theplaten 6;

To assist the gage 20 and theguide and card-holder 21 in-properlymaintaining; a

work member on the platen 6, there is-provided a pair of rollers 57which take thecard or other work member as it comesfrom the holder 21and guides it around theplaten; The rollers 57 are mounted on a rod 58,so as to bequite close to the-top edge of the guide andcard-holder 21;The rod 58 forms a part of a swinging bail 59, so that it may be movedbetween operative and in operative position into engagement and outofengagement with the platen, respectively. The sides of the bail 59extend forwardly of their pivot points 60 to conform with the sides ofthe platen frame 11, then-inwardly a sufficient distance 'to' avoid thenormal overhead pressure rollers 61when the latter Theutility ofthe-device will be readily understoodwhen taken in connection with theabove description. VV'hen the cardholder is not in use, it is shifted tothe Fig.

5 position, whereit willbe clear of the platen. In this bosition, it islocked bythe springs49, so that it will be practically rigid. Tobring'the card-holder into play, it is merely necessary to lift itslightly againstthe tension ofthe springs, so that the side legs clearthe studs 51, andswing the holder in toward the platen.

holder in itsproper position in close relation withrespect'to theplaten. It will then cooperate-with the gage 20 to warp a stifi" cardsnugly around the platen. WVhen the platen is shifted to writeupper-case characters, the gageand holder will move with the platen tomaintain substantially the same relation, so that thecard will' alwaysbe automatically held andguided'on the" platen 6.

Variations may be resorted tOWithin the scope of theinvention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine having amain framework, the combination witha carriage and a platen thereon, of a support located upon'saidframework in juxtaposition to said platen to remain stationaryduring'thetravel of the platen, aholder loosely fulcrumedonsaid support and 1rocking for= The springs 49 will automatically settle thewardly andbackwardly' between operative and inoperative positions near and awayfrom said platen, and two-way acting springs maintaining said holderv onsaid support and automatically looking it in both its positions ofadjustment.

2. Th combination with a platen, of a support located in juxtapositionto said platen, a pair of notched brackets on said support, a holderresting in the notches of said brackets, and springs for preventing saidholder from coming out of said notches.

8. The combination with a platen, of a pair of notched brackets locatedin juxtaposition to said platen, and a holder straddling said bracketsand having shoulders projecting into said notches, so as to fulcrum saidholder on said brackets.

4. The combination with a platen, of supporting brackets, and acard-holder straddling said brackets, said card-holder including legsprojecting down to the outsides of said brackets and prongs projectinginteriorly of said holder and rearwardly of the back face thereof, so asto conform somewhat to the curvature of said platen.

5. The combination with a platen, of supporting brackets, a card-holderstraddling said brackets, said card-holder including legs projectingdown to the outsides of said brackets and prongs projecting interiorlyof said holder and rearwardly of the back face thereof, so as to conformsomewhat to the curvature of said platen, and a gage having an extensionoverlapping one of said prongs vertically, so as to form a practicallycontinuous surface for guiding the leading edge of the work-memberaround said platen.

6. The combination with a platen, of means for enabling the properadjustment of a work-member on said platen, case-shift mechanism forsaid platen, a support mounted formovement with said case-shiftmechanism and said platen, and acting to maintain said means insubstantially the same relation to said platen for both upper andlower-case writing, and guiding rollers for said support justifying theposition of said support and the parts carried thereby.

7. The combination with a platen, of means for enabling the properadjustment of a work-member on said platen, case-shift mechanism forsaid platen, a support for said enabling means mounted on said caseshiftmechanism for movement therewith, and guiding means for preventingmovement of said support lengthwise of said platen comprising a slottedbracket on said support, and a stationaryroller projecting into the slotof said bracket.

8. The combination with a platen, of means for enabling the properadjustment of a work-member on said platen, a support for said means,case-shift mechanism connected to simultaneously adjust said platen .ofa work-member on said platen, case-shift mechanism for said platen, asupport for said means having an open pivotal bearing on said ease-shiftmechanism, guides for said support, and'springs for said support, saidguides and said springs cooperating to adjust said support, so as tomaintain said means in proper relation with said platen for both upperand lower-case writing.

11. The combination with a platen, of

means for enabling the proper adjustmentof a work-member on said platen,a floating support for said means having a pair'of slotted bracketsthereon, a pair of rollers having circumferentially projecting flangesextending into said slots to guide said support and the means carriedthereby, and spring means for forcing the body portion of-said rollersinto engagement with said brackets, to maintain said means in properrelation with respect to said platen.

12. The combination with a revoluble platen and a shift frame by whichsaid platen is shiftable up and down, of a frame hinged upon said shiftframe and having a card-holding surface to bear upon the front of theplaten, and a pair of spring rollers, one at each side of the printingpoint, to press said surface of said frame against the front of theplaten; said rollers mounted upon the stationary framework to roll uponsaid frame at the shifting of the platen.

13. The combination with a revoluble platen and a shift frame by whichsaid platen is shiftable up and down, of a frame hinged upon said shiftframe and having a card-holding surface to bear upon the front of theplaten, a pair of spring rollers, one at each side of the printingpoint, to press said surface of said frame against the front of theplaten; said rollers mounted upon the stationary framework to roll uponsaid.

frame at the shifting of the platen, an auxiliary card-holder looselymounted upon said hinged frame to bear against the platen above theprinting point, and a spring between said auxiliary card-holder and saidhinged frame to press the auxiliary card.-

holder upon the platen.

14. The combination with a revoluble platen and a shift frame by whichsaid platen is shiftable up and down, of a frame hinged upon said shiftframe and having a card-holding surface to bear upon the front of theplaten, and a pair of spring rollers,

one at each side of the printing point, to press said surface of saidframe against the front of the platen; said rollers mounted upon thestationary framework to roll upon said frame at the shifting of theplaten, said hinged frame being mounted by open bearings uponsaid shiftframe, and said rollers being mounted below the point of contact of saidhinged frame surface with the platen, but above said open bearings, tohold the latter against dislocation.

15. The combination with a revoluble platen and a shift frame by whichsaid platen is shiftable up and down, of a frame hinged upon said shiftframe and having a card-holding surface to bear upon the front of theplaten, a pair of spring rollers, one at each side of the printingpoint, to press said surface of said frame against the front of theplaten; said rollers mounted upon the stationary framework to roll uponsaid frame at the shifting of the laten, an auxiliary card-h0lderloosely mounted upon said hinged frame to bear against the platen abovethe printing point, and a spring between said auxiliary card-holder andsaid hinged frame to press the auxiliary cardholder upon the platen;said springs connected to said auxiliary card-holder to hold it eitherback against the platen or forwardly away therefrom.

16. In a typewriting machine having a main framework, a carriage. totravel thereon, and a platen upon said carriage, the combination with acard-holder mounted upon the main framework, and means for pressing thecard-holder against the platen, said card-holder arranged about at theprinting line of the platen, of an auxiliary card-holder, and a supportupon the main framework for said auxiliary card-holder, said auxiliarycard-holder extending upwardly to bear upon the platen above theprinting line.

17. In a typewriting machine having a main framework, a carriage totravel thereon, and a platen upon said carriage, the combination with acard-holder mounted upon the main framework, and means for pressing thecard-holder against the platen, said card-holder arranged about at theprinting line of the platen, of an auxiliary card-holder, a support uponthe main framework for said auxiliary card-holder, said auxiliarycard-holder extending upwardly to bear upon the platen above theprinting line, and means upon said support to hold said auxiliarycardholder forwardly away from the platen.

18. In a typewriting machine having a main framework, a carriage totravel thereon, and a platen upon said carriage, the combination with acard-holder mounted upon the main framework, and means for pressing thecard-holder against the platen, said card-holder arranged about at theprinting line of the platen, of an auxiliary cardholder, and a supportupon the main framework for said auxiliary card-holder, said auxiliarycard-holder extending upwardly from said support to bear upon the platenabove the printing line and in the form of an inverted U-frame having atits upper portion a depending card-guiding projection.

19. In a typewriting machine having a main framework, a carriage totravel thereon, and a platen upon said carriage, the combination with acard-holder mounted upon the main framework, and means for pressing thecard-holder against the platen, said card-holder arranged about at theprinting line of the platen, of an auxiliary card-holder, a support uponthe main framework for said auxiliary card-holder, said auxiliarycard-holder extending upwardly from said support to bear upon the platenabove the printing line and in the form of an inverted U-frame having atits upper portion a depending card-guiding projection, and springs toengage the legs of said U-frame to hold the card-holder against theplaten.

20. The combination with a card-holder and means for pressing it againstthe platen, said card-holder arranged about at the printing line of theplaten, of an auxiliary card-holder, a support for said auxiliary cardholder, said auxiliary card holder extending upwardly to bear upon theplaten above the printing line and in the form of an inverted U-framehaving at its upper portion a depending card-guiding projection, andsprings to engage the legs of said U-frame to hold the card-holdereither back against or forward away from the platen.

WILLIAM F. HELMOND.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. BAsKERVILLE, SHIRLEY E. GLEDHILL.

Odples 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! I'atents, Washington, D. G.

